Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 51:9
9Wake up, wake up! Arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength. Wake up as in days past, as in generations long ago. Wasn’t it you who hacked Rahab to pieces, who pierced the sea monster?
Isaiah 51:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
- New International Version (NIV)Awake, awake, arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent?
Context of Isaiah 51:9
7Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my instruction: do not fear disgrace by men, and do not be shattered by their taunts. 8For moths will devour them like a garment, and worms will eat them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, and my salvation for all generations. Wake up, wake up! Arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength. Wake up as in days past, as in generations long ago. Wasn’t it you who hacked Rahab to pieces, who pierced the sea monster? 10Wasn’t it you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the sea-bed into a road for the redeemed to pass over? 11And the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Read all of Isaiah 51Isaiah 51:9 word by word
עוּרִ֨י עוּרִ֤י לִבְשִׁי־עֹז֙ זְר֣וֹעַ יְהוָ֔ה ע֚וּרִי כִּ֣ימֵי קֶ֔דֶם דֹּר֖וֹת עוֹלָמִ֑ים הֲל֥וֹא אַתְּ־הִ֛יא הַמַּחְצֶ֥בֶת רַ֖הַב מְחוֹלֶ֥לֶת תַּנִּֽין׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Awakeעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
- put onלָבֵשׁlâbash lâbêsh · to clotheH3847
- strengthעֹז‛ôz ‛ôz · strengthH5797
- O armזְרוֹעַzerôa‛ zerôa‛ zerô‛âh zerô‛âh · armH2220
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- as in the ancientקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: oldH6924
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- in the generationsדּוֹרdôr dôr · generationH1755
- of oldעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: antiquityH5769
- thou not it that hath cutחָצַבchâtsab châtsêb · to hewH2672
- Rahabרַ֫הַבrahab · Rahab monsterH7294
- woundedחָלַלchâlal · to boreH2490
- the dragonתַּנִּיןtannîyn tannîym · serpent: monsterH8577
Cross-references for Isaiah 51:9
- Isaiah 51:17Wake yourself, wake yourself up! Stand up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk the cup of his fury from the Lord’s hand; you who have drunk the goblet to the dregs — the cup that causes people to stagger.
- Isaiah 27:1On that day the Lord with his relentless, large, strong sword will bring judgment on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent — Leviathan, the twisting serpent. He will slay the monster that is in the sea.
- Psalms 7:6Rise up, Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my adversaries; awake for me; you have ordained a judgment.
- Psalms 44:23Wake up, Lord! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don’t reject us forever!
- Psalms 59:4For no fault of mine, they run and take up a position. Awake to help me, and take notice.
- Psalms 78:65The Lord awoke as if from sleep, like a warrior from the effects of wine.
- Habakkuk 2:19Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up! or to mute stone: Come alive! Can it teach? Look! It may be plated with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.
- Isaiah 52:1“Wake up, wake up; put on your strength, Zion! Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer enter you.
- Isaiah 59:17He put on righteousness as body armor, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
- Psalms 21:13Be exalted, Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.
- Psalms 74:13You divided the sea with your strength; you smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the water;
- Psalms 93:1The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, enveloped in strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.
- Revelation 11:17saying, We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
- Isaiah 51:5My righteousness is near, my salvation appears, and my arms will bring justice to the nations. The coasts and islands will put their hope in me, and they will look to my strength.
- Isaiah 53:1Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
- Isaiah 59:16He saw that there was no man — he was amazed that there was no one interceding; so his own arm brought salvation, and his own righteousness supported him.
Commentaries on Isaiah 51:9
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Awake, awake - This verse commences a new subject (see the analysis of the chapter). It is the solemn and impassioned entreaty of those who were in exile that God would interpose in their behalf, as he did in behalf of his people when they were suffering in cruel bondage in Egypt. The word awake‘ here, which is addressed to the arm of Jehovah, is a petition that it might be roused from its apparent stupor and inactivity, and its power exerted in their…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-16Verses 9-16 The people whom Christ has redeemed with his blood, as well as by his power, will obtain joyful deliverance from every enemy. He that designs such joy for us at last, will he not work such deliverance in the mean time, as our cases require? In this world of changes, it is a short step from joy to sorrow, but in that world, sorrow shall never come in view. They prayed for the display of God's power; he answers them with consolations of his…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10Awake, awake: God does not sleep. This prayer asks God to act immediately to save his people (see Isaiah 52:1; see especially God’s military clothing in 59:17). in generations of old: The exodus from Egypt was an act of redemption. It showed God’s power as he made a path of escape (Isaiah 51:10) for his people (see also 11:15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Impassioned prayer of the exiled Jews. ancient days--(Psa 44:1). Rahab--poetical name for Egypt (see on Is 30:7). dragon--Hebrew, tannin. The crocodile, an emblem of Egypt, as represented on coins struck after the conquest of Egypt by Augustus; or rather here, "its king," Pharaoh (see on Is 27:1; Psa 74:13, 14; Eze 32:2, Margin; Eze 29:3).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 51:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 51
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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